US President Barack Obama voiced hope on Wednesday for a further easing of tensions across the Taiwan Strait as he reaffirmed his commitment to the “one China” policy and to the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), a law passed by the US Congress in 1979 that requires the US to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.

Welcoming Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) for a state visit, Obama praised a major trade pact sealed last year between China and Taiwan.